A Place to Call My Own
by Saadie
Summary: Children yearn for a mother figure in their lives, to belong to something special. With one woman’s return, things are set into motion and even as the world starts to change rapidly. Amongst this chaos, can two children find a place to call their own?
1. Chapter 1: The Letter

**A Place to Call My Own**

**Chapter One: The Letter **

By: Saadie

* * *

Summary: It is natural for children to yearn for a mother figure in their lives, to belong to something special. With one woman's return, things are set into motion and even as the world around them starts to change rapidly. Amongst this chaos, can two children find a place to call their own?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, that right belongs exclusively to J.K. Rowling. If I did own Harry  
Potter then, well, let's just say that things would be VERY different.

A/N: None of my stories are beta-d, I apologize to everyone for my horrible grammar, spelling, and just terrible writing skills in general.

* * *

It was two weeks before Yule Holidays and decorations were already starting to grace the halls of Hogwarts. The excitement in the air was tangible, the students already gleefully discussing their plans for the holidays. Only a few students looked on glumly, unable to share in the joyous atmosphere with the rest of their friends and among them was a young boy named Harry James Potter.

At eleven years old, Harry was a quiet child who had been looking forward to spending his very first Christmas in a Magical community. What he was not looking forward to was all his new friends leaving him to return home to their families. "Harry? Harry, are you listening to me?"

Hermione's voice jolted Harry out of his thoughts and he forced a smile when faces with the expectant looks his friends gave him, "Of course Hermione, I'll make sure to keep you updated on everything we find in the library –"

The rest of his words were cut off by the arrival of the owls. They flooded in from the open alcoves above the great hall, hundreds of feathers in almost every colour blocked the ceiling from sight. Harry's head whipped up and his eyes strained to try and locate Hedwig. Not that he was really expecting anyone to write to him but still, Harry couldn't stop himself from looking. When it became apparent that Hedwig would not be coming today, Harry turned back to poking moodily at his eggs while his friends chatted loudly once again. He paid the plethora of hoots and fluttering wings no mind until a delighted cry sounded to his left.

Turning, he was surprised to see that it was Neville whose face was lit up with delight. Seamus and Dean were already hovering over Neville's shoulder, trying to figure out why Neville had been so excited over a letter. Looking up to see them all staring at him, Neville's face glowed with a mixture of happiness and embarrassment before he opened his mouth to explain. "It's from my Aunt Addie! She said she can finally come home to England!"

His proclamation was met with a blend of blank stares and questioning gazes and Neville stopped for a moment, struggling to find the right words to explain. "Aunt Addie isn't actually one of my parent's siblings you see, but she's my mum's older brother's wife's younger sister; kind of complicated to name so I just call her my Aunt. After the war, she was the one who took care of me and I stayed with her until I was six. That's when she got sick and the Healers said that she had to move to a warmer country to get better, something about the rainy weather in London being bad for her. I was supposed to go with her but Grandmother refused to let me leave England and they had a huge row over it and it almost ended up in the courts but finally Grandmother called on the family Magics and Aunt Addie had to leave."

Neville stopped for breath and to let the others take in the information. It was the first time Neville ever talked about his family so most of his year was drinking in the new information eagerly. Taking a sip of his pumpkin juice, Neville swallowed heavily, being unused to the unwavering attention of his year mates being solely on him. It took him a while before he finally continued. "I lived with my Grandmother for the last five years and she never let me leave to visit Aunt Addie," that one line was said with no small amount of bitterness.

"Now Auntie said that she's coming back to England because she's all better now and," he was positively beaming as he said it, "I'm to spend Christmas with her! She even said that she's going to try and have me come back and live with her!"

"But doesn't your Grandmother have custody of you?" Hermione cut in, eyebrows furrowed in that way it always did when she didn't understand something.

Neville nodded, "Yeah, she does but technically, it's Aunt Addie that was named my guardian. Grandmother only got custody through the family Magics. Now that Aunt Addie's back in England, there'll be no grounds for Grandmother to stop her from taking custody of me again."

"Blimey Neville, you must either really hate your Grandmother or really love that Aunt of your's," came Seamus's voice.

Neville blushed heavily and ducked his head, mumbling and answer. "I don't hate Grandmother, but she's really strict, she terrifies me. Aunt Addie's different and she's real nice."

"That's really nice then Neville, I hope she gets custody," cooed Lavender and Neville turned positively red although he never stopped beaming.

Harry stared at Neville, torn between being happy for his friend and sulking. There was a burning feeling that built in his chest as Neville continued to gush about his Aunt Addie. He had always wondered why Neville stayed with his grandmother while his parents were still alive but that wasn't the issue now. Harry couldn't help himself from wishing that _his_ Aunt was this nice. That his Aunt cared, that she wanted him and would fight for him. But all he got were memories assaulting his mind, memories filled with a horse-faced woman, scowling at him in displeasure and always, always scolding him in shrill tones. Harry shook his head furiously to rid himself of such thoughts and shivered even as his Aunt's screeches slowly faded from his mind.

"Oh right!" the whole table watched as Neville bolted up from his seat and rushed to the Headmaster whose eyes were twinkling brightly at the excitement on Neville's face.

"If there something that I can help you with my dear boy?" said the Headmaster jovially, looking kindly over his spectacles at a nervous Neville.

Neville struggled to look the Headmaster in the eyes before holding out a piece of paper, "Yes Professor Dumbledore, my Aunt told me to give you this."

"Your Aunt Maeve?"

The boy shook his head, "No Headmaster, my Aunt Addie."

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose before he smiled, "Very well my boy, is she coming back?"

Neville nodded, unable to stop himself from smiling wildly, "Yes Headmaster, she says she'll be back within the week."

"Why that's wonderful news! Thank you for the note Mr. Longbottom, now, I believe that you have class in five minutes."

Neville jolted, startled before checking his watch; it was indeed five minutes before nine. "Oh no, I have to go! If you'll excuse me Headmaster?"

Dumbledore laughed warmly, "Of course my dear boy! Go on! Enjoy your day."

"Good bye Professor Dumbledore!" he shouted over his shoulder before running after his departing year mates, nearly tripping on his way towards where Hermione stood waiting.

"Such finesse the boy has," sneered Severus.

"Oh shush Severus, leave the poor boy be!" admonished Pomona, "More importantly, you heard what he said about his Aunt!"

Dumbledore smiled, "Yes indeed. I would seem that Miss Adelle Huang will be returning to us very soon."

Pomona covered her face and sighed while Filius struggled to hide a smile, "Augusta isn't going to like this one bit is she?"

Severus smirked, one that looked astonishingly close to a smile, "No, when Adelle comes back sparks are going to fly and Augusta's going to throw a fit, no matter how she tries to hide it."

"You're enjoying this way too much Severus," Minerva commented with a smile of her own.

"Oh no, I'm not even close to enjoying it yet. Just wait till Adelle and Augusta really start to go at it, then I'll star to enjoy myself," was his snarky response as he stood, "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have some dunderheads to teach."

Severus left with a sneer and his trademark robes billowing behind him, leaving his colleagues shaking their heads in amusement, "Honestly, that man is unbelievable sometimes."

"Wasn't Adelle friends with Severus back in the day?" said Silvanus with a frown.

"Were they?" questioned Aurora, "I was sure Adelle was a Raven, not a Snake. Besides, she was several years below him!"

"Oh stop with the guessing you two, just ask Severus the next time we see him," declared Rhonda.

They stopped and they nodded in agreement. Albus could only chuckle softly to himself, his staff still acted like children whenever the students weren't around.

* * *

AN: Wow it' really been a while since I've written everything and quite a while since I took everything down. I hope you guys enjoyed this new piece though and that it wasn't too much of a disappointment.

Thanks for reading and please take the time to review.

Sincerely,

Saadie

P.S. Some of you may have noticed a change in my pen name but just to clear things up, I used to go by NaiteShyde.


	2. Chapter 2: Lessons in Ranks

**A Place to Call My Own**

**Chapter Two: Lessons in Ranks **

By: Saadie

* * *

Summary: It is natural for children to yearn for a mother figure in their lives, to belong to something special. With one woman's return, things are set into motion and even as the world around them starts to change rapidly. Amongst this chaos, can two children find a place to call their own?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, that right belongs exclusively to J.K. Rowling. If I did own Harry  
Potter then, well, let's just say that things would be VERY different.

A/N: None of my stories are beta-d, I apologize to everyone for my horrible grammar, spelling, and just terrible writing skills in general.

* * *

It was after dinner, the day before the last day of school until holidays was over, that Headmaster Dumbledore suddenly stood up. The sudden motion was enough to grab the attention of most students and those who did not pay attention were quickly silenced by their seat-mates through hurried whispers, quick pinches and the occasional sharp jab by bony elbows. Several startled exclamations of pain and outraged complains to potential bruises later, the Great Hall was perfectly quiet save for the rare whisper and the muted rustle of robes as the younger years started to fidget.

Dumbledore cleared his throat once before smiling in a grandfatherly manner, "Thank you. Now that I have your attention, I would like to make a quick announcement before we all retire for the night. Tomorrow, we will be having a group of visitors before the holidays begin. Amongst these visitors are members from the Board of Governors so I do believe it would be best for you all to be on your best behaviour."

His eyes swept across the crowd over the top of his half-moon spectacles before smiling kindly once again. "Now, don't let me keep you from bed. Off you go!"

The students broke out into whispers immediately and filed out of the room slowly.

* * *

Ron made an exaggerated motion with his arms before collapsing onto the couch next to the fireplace with a suffering sigh, "Did you hear that Harry? The Board of Governors! Now Malfoy's never going to shut up about his father!"

"Hush Ron!" admonished Hermione, "To be on the Board of Governors is an honour, it's a respected position, you shouldn't be so rude!"

"Yea, honour for being rich! He wouldn't be on the Board if he didn't have as much gold in his vaults as he did!" grumbled Ron.

"Actually, all the members on the Board of Governors are part of the Golden Ranks or of Silver Ranks at least. It's more about position than money."

Most of the students in the common room were listening in to the conversation now and was surprised to see it was little Lavender Brown who spoke up. Hermoine immediately cut in, not to be out done by a girl who was so much more focused on looks than her studies even at the age of eleven. "You mean purebloods? That's prejudiced and unfair!"

"Actually," Parvati spoke up now and Harry was starting to wonder if he'd develop whiplash just trying to follow this conversation, "it's not prejudice. It's tradition and there's nothing wrong with that."

"What about the muggleborns then?" declared Hermione hotly, "Why don't we ever get a say in things?"

"You do get a say in things," explained Lavender patiently; Hermione bristled from her tone, how dare her! Treating **her,** the top of their class, like a child! "The Board of Governors is only the representation of the collective body of parents as tradition dictates. Any proposal that is put forth by anyone, muggleborn or otherwise, must be fairly heard and thus executed; it's an oath all members of the Board must take before they are given their positions."

Hermione huffed, "Anyone can break an oath! Who's to say that they won't? They can just unanimously decide not to listen at all!"

The Common Room was completely silent now at her outburst until a boy from the group of Sixth Years huddles near the windows spoke up, "Actually kid, you can't break an oath. Not without losing your magic anyways."

Hermione's face was bright pink now, large front teeth biting into her lower lip – a classic sign that she was angry. Ron looked to be shrinking into the couch, making himself a smaller target before sighing with relief when all Hermione did was turning sharply on her heel and storm up the girl's dormitory tower. Lavender and Parvati paid her no mind, turning back to their previous task of brushing and braiding each other's hair. Curious now, Harry looked carefully walked over to where Lavender and Parvati were settled. "Umm, Lavender? Parvati? If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you mean by Gold Ranks and Silver Ranks?"

Both girls simultaneously turned their eyes to him and Harry suppressed a shudder; he could swear that it was Parvati and Lavender who were twins instead of Parvati and Padma though he didn't know the Ravenclaw well enough to judge. They seemed to be studying him for some time before, as if by some silent agreement, Lavender shifted slightly to her right to make room for Harry while Parvati's hand shot up to tug him down. Harry settled on one of the cushions and waiting patiently as Lavender re-arranged her robes.

"There are three Ranks, Harry. Gold, Silver and Bronze; all three are linked to a how old a family is as well as their prestige," Parvati was the one to speak now, eyes pining Harry to his seat and he swallowed heavily, "Usually the older a family is, the more prestigious they are but there are exceptions. Older families whose bloodline stretches back hundreds of years, like the Malfoys and the Blacks, are considered to be part of the Gold Ranks. They are usually families who can claim to have had purely magical blood for over fifty generations. Silver Ranks are families with purely magical ancestors for over thirty generations but not passing fifty. Both the Patils and the Browns are part of the Silver Ranks. Bronze Ranks are those with bloodlines that are newer, racing back only fifteen generations or so. That would include families like the Thomas's and the Chos. Are you following Harry?"

Harry blinked and then nodded slowly; there was so much to take in! Why had no one told him of this earlier? It sounded like it was important **and** common knowledge for those of a magical background. He barely had enough time to digest this information before Lavender picked up where Parvati left off. "Any families with bloodlines even newer than this aren't considered part of the ranks at all although those whose bloodline traces back for over five generations may still claim to be purebloods. The only way for bloodlines to be admitted into these ranks is usually when one of the older bloodlines dies off. At which point, the ascension of another bloodline into the ranks is regarded widely as a tragic event rather than one worthy of celebration."

"Umm," both girls bore into him with their eyes the moment Harry opened his mouth and he tried his best not to flinch; for two girls usually so obsessed with their looks, they were amazingly intimidating when they wanted to be, "are the Potters part of the ranks?"

"Of course! The Potters are an old family, in fact, you should be part of the Gold Ranks," mused Lavender, "actually who else in our year is in the Ranks?"

Parvati started listing off names with the same boredom one would have if she was counting the hairs on her head, "Longbottom: Gold, Finnegan: former Silver, Bones: Silver, Abbott: Gold, Macmillan: Silver, Li: Gold –"

"What about the Weasleys?"

Parvati stopped and Lavender refused to look up, concentrating on combing her already shining hair. Without looking up, Lavender answered in a murmur while Parvati stared intently into the fire. "Do you remember what Malfoy called him Harry?"

Harry's face morphed into a frown until it suddenly dawned upon him, "Blood-traitor?"

"That is correct, the Weasleys are no longer one of the Ranks. They have forsaken the Old Ways and the more traditional families shun them."

There was a dead silence between the three children now, an uneasy air that didn't go unnoticed by those around them as even the older years quieted down slightly. It was a sensitive topic that, even though left unheard by most, still had the power to bring most of the room into a stifling stillness.

* * *

AN: And that brings a conclusion to the second chapter! I was planning to go farther with this in regards to the plot but then somehow I ended up delving into my very own version of Wizarding History. Anyways I hoped you guys liked it!

Thanks for reading and please take the time to review.

Sincerely,

Saadie


	3. Interlude I: Adelle

**A Place to Call My Own**

**Interlude I: Adelle**

By: Saadie

* * *

Summary: It is natural for children to yearn for a mother figure in their lives, to belong to something special. With one woman's return, things are set into motion and even as the world around them starts to change rapidly. Amongst this chaos, can two children find a place to call their own?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, that right belongs exclusively to J.K. Rowling. If I did own Harry  
Potter then, well, let's just say that things would be VERY different.

A/N: None of my stories are beta-d, I apologize to everyone for my horrible grammar, spelling, and just terrible writing skills in general.

* * *

Adelle knew from the age of ten exactly what to expect from life. She was the second child to a pureblood family but she was not the child they wanted. Her parents had been trying for a boy to carry on the Huang Bloodline and as a girl, she was a disappointment. But that was alright, her parents never shunned her for being female or for being the second born. But something inside, somewhere deep inside Adelle _knew_ that she wasn't truly wanted. And no matter how many times her parents smiled at her and assured her that she was a gift to them, Adelle couldn't help but hate them; hate them for lying through their teeth.

She wasn't pretty like her sister either; she was an ugly child, painfully thin with a solemn expression and queer coloured eyes beside her sister's bright cherubic smiles and shining ebony orbs. Adelle was smart though, but her sister was intelligent too, so Adelle tried her hardest to be better than her sister at everything they did. Yet all it brought her were those infuriating looks from her parents as they smiled at her with their eyes filled with pity for the unwanted, ugly, second child.

Adelle's singular fortune laid in the fact that when she hit the age of twelve she became plain instead of ugly. The pretty girls a few years above her took it upon themselves to take in the poor, awkward little girl who had no one to call a friend and so Adelle would sit beside them during meals, at the very edges of their group, always silent. They were so kind to her, so loving and so beautiful that it hurt to look at them sometimes. "But it was pity!" her mind screamed at her, "They only let you in because they're sorry for you, just like your parents are, just like your sister is."

So Adelle hated and hated inside her little heart until she became twisted and cruel without anyone else being any wiser. She was still that quite little girl who got the highest marks in her grade so the teachers adored her even though they, too, looked upon her with pitying eyes. "The poor child," they'd say when they thought no one was listening, "so bright but certainly not social enough. If only she would reach out, I'm sure she'd make some friends."

"I don't need friends," Adelle had screamed inside her mind when she heard them, "I don't need friends because no one's ever your friend for who you are. You have to be pretty or smart or rich or powerful. If you are nothing then you have nothing and no one will ever so much as glance your way."

She threw herself into studying obscure and ancient arts, trying to amass as much knowledge as she possibly could. She studied several languages and different customs, learned runes and spells long forgotten for more 'advanced' versions. She hid in the dark under dozens of charms and spend night after night within the Restricted Section of the library. It wasn't until too little sleep and using too much Magic made her faint that Adelle had to stop and only visited the library at night three times a week. She immersed herself into her own world, ignoring everything around her completely, convinced that it didn't matter, that she would rise above it all.

So in her fifth year, when her sister sent her a letter filled with her usual gushing words of love followed by an announcement that she was going to be married, Adelle had been stunned. A letter from her parents wasn't far behind and, in very little words, informed Adelle that she was to become the next head of the family because she was the more intelligent and mature of the two sisters. Yet all Adelle could see were the words between the lines, the truth that said no one would want to marry such a sorry child and that, thanking the gods, she wasn't too stupid to run the family while her sister was married off to someone of fortune, high standing and loved her for being beautiful and kind like Adelle could never be.

It was too much for her to stand, Adelle had had enough of their pity and always not being good enough though no one ever said that out loud. She sold her soul to the devil the night she returned home for the holidays and if anyone was shocked at the transformation she went through over the summer, no one ever said anything. Now she was beautiful even though it was a cruel beauty, one that suited her queer eyes with their colour like watery shadows and her sharp features. Her cheekbones still looked like butter knives under her skin but now she looked fashionably pale instead of sallow and sickly so those same butter knife-bones were attributed to _character_. She laughed more and held herself with confidence and they noticed that too. Soon people who had never given her the time of day were flocking to speak to her, to have _her_ pay attention to _them._

It was a grand experience for Adelle and she laughed madly when there was no one around to watch because finally, finally she was being noticed and it wasn't because she looked so weak that people couldn't help but stop and feel pity. And when pretty, pretty Alice and Lily had asked her to please promise to look after their unborn children (almost as a secondary godmother of sorts), Adelle had been thrilled and agreed without a second thought. Because they had asked **her**, her and not Amelia Bones with all her power and prestige, they had asked Adelle Huang who until two months ago was as insignificant as a moth. She tried to ignore the fact that Alice was most likely only asking because they were now distant relatives after Frank's older brother, Howard, had married her older sister. Tried and tried because she was only sixteen now but already so _tired_ of hating, or being angry. But she kept the hate, kept the anger because everything else felt too weird, too foreign for her to trust.

And when the unthinkable had happened and both Lily and Alice were rendered dead and insane respectively by the war, Adelle found herself running towards Alice's house because she knows that Dumbledore would rush to the Potter's. She barreled through the door despite the protests of the Aurors present, gathered up the crying Neville from his crib and whisked him away without a word. With the documents that Lily and Alice both had prepared ahead of time, Adelle had managed to wrest Neville's guardianship from one very miffed Augusta Longbottom; the Wizengamot wouldn't let her touch Harry though and all that Albus Dumbledore had deigned to tell her was that Harry was in "a safe place".

While going head to head with the Longbottom Matriarch would normally have you scorned by upper society, as the heir apparent of the Huang line and the trusted friend of Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom, Adelle was allowed to get away with more than most would in such a situation. Coupled with the reason for this event and the war itself, most of the Light Side was more than ready to romanticize her fight for Neville's guardianship and those of the Dark had other things to worry about at the moment.

So for the next five or so years, Adelle Huang found herself taking care of her young nephew, trying her best to ignore the voice in her head that laughed as it mocked her. She tried to ignore the whispers that told her she was really only taking care of the boy because she knew that she could raise him to love her, to truly care because he'd never know all her failures. Because she did love the boy, she did. She loved it when he smiled at her and called her Auntie Addie and when his peacock-blue eyes lit up when she entered the room. She loved him, she cared, she does and she's sure of it. And Adelle had been so _sure_ of all this until just two months after Neville's birthday and she suddenly felt so ill. The Healer told her that she needed to leave the country to heal, that the dreary weather in London would do more harm than good.

That had wrenched her whole life (and she had finally been _happy_ dammit) away from her. Augusta had called upon the Family Magics of all things and stolen her darling little boy from her. Suddenly, all the hate and anger that she had felt before was nothing compared to the hollowness that filled her before burning, raging loathing rushed into her and Adelle could barely keep herself from ripping the woman's head clean off her body. It broke her heart to see Neville's teary eyes before she had to leave and she vowed that she would be back. She would get her baby boy back and anyone who tried to keep him from her would suffer.

* * *

AN: Just thought that as Adelle is an OC, a quick look into her past and how she ticks might be of interest and also help others understand her actions later on in the story. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading and please take the time to review. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.

Sincerely,

Saadie


	4. Chapter 3: Reunion

**A Place**** to Call My Own**

**Chapter 3: Reunion  
**

By: Saadie

* * *

Summary: It is natural for children to yearn for a mother figure in their lives, to belong to something special. With one woman's return, things are set into motion and even the world around them starts to change rapidly. Amongst this chaos, can two children find a place to call their own?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, that right belongs exclusively to J.K. Rowling. If I did own Harry  
Potter then, well, let's just say that things would be VERY different.

A/N: None of my stories are beta-d, I apologize to everyone for my horrible grammar, spelling, and just terrible writing skills in general.

* * *

This chapter is for Ludost aka Roes. Thank you so much for the glowing reviews and encouragement. I've been so busy that I never managed to get back to you and I'm sorry for that. I hope this chapter lives up to you expectations.

* * *

It was a typical breakfast affair the morning of the seventh of December. The mornings were cold now and students came to breakfast later and later with each passing day, the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs more so than the Slytherins or Ravenclaws, unwilling the leave the warmth of cocooned blankets and soft bedding.

Next to Neville, Hermione was scolding Ron for his unseemly display of chewing while yawning, displayed the half-chewed contents of his mouth for the whole world to see. Harry, who sat across from Ron, was struggling not to fall asleep in his porridge while Lavender and Parvati picked at their fruit in between rearranging the colourful ties in their hair. In fact, Harry was so tired that he barely paid the two girls mind even when they moved on to trying to tame _his_ unruly hair in the middle of the Great Hall.

Hermione had just started in on Ron again, to the unhappy ears of Neville, when the sound of the large doors to the Courtyard swinging open reached their ears. Instantly the students quieted, perking up to see who it was that had deigned to visit Hogwarts as so early an hour. The more observant, now slightly more awake, spotted the extra seats added to the teachers' table and remembering the Headmaster's announcement last night realized that the Board of Governors must have arrived. Sure enough, a group of thirteen witches and wizards decked out in formal robes swept into the hall, their postures perfect and faces arranged to convey polite interest in the on goings around them. Harry could spot several adults that resembled many of the pureblood students in the Hall – the children themselves were sitting straighter, all traces of sleep gone, and engaged in consuming their breakfast in an orderly manner.

Amongst the assembly, the gleaming platinum blond hair of Lucius Malfoy could be seen at the lead, escorting a petite witch of Asian descent, her wild masses of inky hair a startling contrast next to the Malfoy patriarch. Somewhere to his left, Neville inhaled sharply, causing most of their year to turn to look at him. Seeing their attention, he flushed a splotchy pink and whispered, "That's my Aunt Addie at the front."

"Why's your Aunt with _Malfoy_, mate?" Ron was quick to ask, a scowl on his face – in his mind, anyone who associated with Malfoys were evil.

"I don't know," stammered Neville.

Parvati snorted in a rather unladylike manner and Lavender tittered at them behind her hands, "He's the head of the Board of Governors, Ronald_, of course_ he's escorting her. Besides, they look so striking together with him all prim and proper and her wild beauty – that's the kind you have to be born with too, products can't give you her look. You never said her Aunt was so pretty, Neville! You have to introduce us!"

Ron grumbled about being called Ronald, settling back in his seat while Hermione bristled slightly as the two witches answered a question she could not. Neville just nodded, happy to avoid any needless confrontations with Ron, "Of course, I'll introduce you all. I'm sure she'll be really happy to meet you all too."

In their whispered conversation, they had missed Dumbledore's introduction of the Board to the student body. The Board gracefully made their way into the designated seats and easily slipped into conversation with the neighbouring teachers. They watched as Lucius Malfoy nodded regally to his son – the boys gagged and made faces while the girls fawned over how 'princely' he looked – before taking a seat next to Professor Snape. What surprised the Gryffindors even more was that Neville's Auntie made her way over to the seat on the other side of Snape with a smile, bending over to whisper something into his ear that him smirking in a manner that looked disturbingly alike an actual smile.

"Mate, your Aunt knows that slimy git? Are you sure she's right in the head?" asked Ron as they watched her move to greet the Headmaster.

"Don't talk about my Aunt like that!" Neville burst out angrily to their surprise.

"Don't call him that Ron! He's your professor and you're being very rude to Neville's Aunt!" scolded Hermione.

"Yeah mate," chimed in Dean, "That was real rude."

Seamus nodded and Harry purposely looked away when Ron looked to him for support; the girls were giving Ron disgusted looks.

"But he's the git!" Ron exclaimed unrepentantly, "First Malfoy, now Snape, what next Neville? You-Know-Who?"

The entire Gryffindor table fell into a hush, now even Harry turned to look at his best friend in shock, "That was way out of line, Ron, "he said quietly.

Even so, the silence of their table ensured that it carried across half the hall and Ron could see that Percy was quickly making his way over, a scowl on his face. Cursing, Ron bolted out of his seat and made for the door, tripping over the extended foot of one of the twins and landed in a sprawling heap at Percy's feet with a yelp. "Hello, Ronald. I believe that you and I need to have _words_ with each other," the prefect intoned before dragging Ron out of the hall by his ear despite his very vocal protests of pain.

The Slytherins looked ready to applaud the display but refrained at the last minute due to the presence of the Board. Professor McGonagall had a most disproving look painted on her face and all of the first years knew without a doubt that their head of house would also be having _words_ with Ron regardless of how much his brother was chewing him out now. Parvati sniffed delicately and then waved her hand around as if dispersing the air of a particularly bad smell. "Well," she continued, "never mind _him_, though I hope none of the Board or your Aunt heard that, Neville. What a horrible first impression to make!"

Glancing behind her, she whipped back around, excitement shinning clearly in her eyes. "Oh, never mind any of this! Look Neville! Your Aunt's coming over!"

Privately, Harry wondered whether or not Parvati and Lavender weren't making _too_ big of a deal of Neville's Aunt; Hermione certainly seemed to think so with the way she had stubbornly buried her nose in a book once Ron had been dragged away by Percy. But maybe that was just his jealousy rearing its head.

They watched as she swept down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, robes flaring out behind her elegantly but in a manner reminiscent of Snape's dramatic swooping that had Harry choking back a laugh – imagining this petite woman swooping around like Snape was just ridiculous. He wondered if they ever had contests as to who could make their robes flare out the most but dismissed the thought as inappropriate and unimportant. She walked as if most of the students' eyes weren't following her every move, a self-assured manner that had Harry all at once admiring and envious. Finally she came to a stop behind Neviile who's eyes were now huge and seemed to be trembling in his seat as if holding back from throwing himself into her arms.

"Hello Neville, do you still remember me?"

Her voice was melodious but surprisingly husky; at the back of his mind, he could hear Lavender and Parvati's voices exclaiming how it gave her _character_ but he was pretty sure that in their minds, thus far, the lady in front of them now could do no wrong.

"Hi Aunt Addie," began Neville timidly, flushing again from the attention of all their peers watching what should have been, admittedly, a private reunion.

Here she opened her arms to him with a smile, "And did you miss me, sweetling?"

"Yes," he managed to choke out before finally hurling himself into her arms.

She chuckled lowly, folding him into a warm embrace and whispering into his ears almost too lowly for them to catch, "Oh my darling baby boy. I missed you so much," and they watched as she rocked him back and forth slowly as he broke down into tears, fists clenching tightly into the front of her robes.

Harry turned away slightly, eyes and chest burning. Most of the table had the tact to turn away as well, giving the two their privacy although there were a few openly gawking at the emotional display.

Neville knew that he was making a spectacle of himself but he really couldn't care less right now, his Aunt Addie was actually here! Besides, if she minded, she would have reprimanded him the moment he started bawling so this must be one of those moments where children were allowed to act as children.

* * *

Over at the Slytherin table, Draco sneered at the unseemly display before schooling his face into a neutral mask when his father glanced over in his direction.

That Longbottom was a useless lump but from what he had heard from his father, the Lady Huang was a _true_ pureblood and he would respect that. She was probably just putting on a show for their useless Headmaster who was smiling widely at the reunion.

Longbottom though, well, as long as his father didn't find out, he'd continue his fun poking at that great lump and the rest of Potter's stupid entourage.

* * *

So, funny story, I was about to post chapter four when I realized I had written chapter three but never remembered to post it. And right when I was about to post, Draco here insisted in being written in at the end. So here's chapter three and chapter four will be up in a jiffy as well.

Show some love?

-Saadie


	5. Chapter 4: Revelations

**A Place to Call My Own**

**Chapter 4: Revelations  
**

By: Saadie

* * *

Summary: It is natural for children to yearn for a mother figure in their lives, to belong to something special. With one woman's return, things are set into motion and even the world around them starts to change rapidly. Amongst this chaos, can two children find a place to call their own?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, that right belongs exclusively to J.K. Rowling. If I did own Harry  
Potter then, well, let's just say that things would be VERY different.

A/N: None of my stories are beta-d, I apologize to everyone for my horrible grammar, spelling, and just terrible writing skills in general.

* * *

It took several minutes for Neville to finally calm and compose himself, his Aunt carefully wiping away tears like she used to so many years ago and he smiled. She was back now and he knew, just _knew_ – he could feel it in his bones – that she wasn't going to leave him again anytime soon. Perhaps, he though, perhaps he could even go live with her during the holidays instead of his grandmother. Scrubbing at his face fiercely one last time, he stepped out of her arms and turned to face his year mates, standing proudly with his back straight.

"Everyone, this is my Aunt Adelle. Auntie, may I present my year mates, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil," he listed off, gesturing to each of them in turn.

"Merry met," Adelle intoned with a slight dip of her head, "Adelle Huang, Materfamilias of the Ancient and Revered House of Huang, a pleasure to make your acquaintances. Please accept my thanks for watching over my godchild."

Lavender and Parvati rose from their seats, sweeping into low curtsies as well as they could in school robes, heads bowed, "Merry met, Lady Huang."

"Lavender Brown, Heiress Apparent of the Ancient and Dignified House of Brown," said Lavender.

"Parvati Patil of the Ancient and Illustrious House of Patil," followed Parvati.

"The pleasure is entirely ours," they finished together, "please look upon us kindly."

Seamus hesitated before rising to his feet as well, thumping his right fist over his heart and bowing jerkily, motions barely remembered from lessons his Ma taught him before his Da decided it was all pish-posh, "Merry met milady, Seamus Finnigan of Clan Briain; I place myself at your service."

Adelle smiled at the youngsters, it was lovely to see that there were still some who adhered to the Olde Ways in House Gryffindor, although it was slightly worrisome that Harry had not risen to greet her as well; she shuddered to think who must have brought him up for his manners to be so lacking. "May our meeting be blessed by the Great Mother, please rise."

The three rose, the two girls with dimpled smiles, and returned to their seats. Dean and Harry had watched the proceedings with wide eyes, uncomprehending of what had just taken place. Harry glanced at Hermione, wondering if she had read about it somewhere in her books to see that the girl remained with her head stubbornly buried in her book.

"Is this everyone in your year? It's unusual for the lions to have such a small group."

"Oh no, Lady Huang, three of them aren't here right now," Lavender piped up, "Ronald Weasley was the boy who got dragged out by his brother earlier. There are two more girls, Fay Dunbar and Amy Whitlock; Amy wasn't feel well this morning so Fay is with her in the hospital wing right now."

"Well, I hope that I have a chance to meet everyone before I take my leave today and Adelle will be just fine, Heiress Brown."

"Many thanks, Lady Adelle," the girl glowed at the afforded familiarity; most Heads of ancient houses were must less accommodating, especially with children "please call me Lavender."

Adelle smiled and nodded before turning to address her godson, "Neville, I've gotten permission from the Headmaster to excuse you from your first period class so we can catch up, provided that your friends are willing to help you cover the class material later this evening so you don't fall behind. Would you like that?"

Neville nodded vigorously, "Oh yes, that's wonderful Auntie! I'd better go thank the Headmaster."

"Alright, I'll just stay here and chat a little with your friends," she chuckled as he hurried off towards the teacher's table, "Now, whatever was that commotion with Mr. Weasley about? I must say, I find myself very curious."

"That was the result of Ronald's astounding lack of manners, Lady Huang," responded Parvati, "He spoke without tact and made insults that I can't bear to repeat, I pity his brothers, really."

"Adelle, Miss Patil, and that applies to you all as well. I take it he is the youngest? They do tend to act out sometimes."

"The youngest brother, yes, he has a younger sister as well."

"Ah, yes, that will do it," Adelle gave a small smile, she could sympathize with young Weasley's dilemma, well, almost – that was an abominable way to conduct oneself, Blood Traitor or not, "now, why don't you tell me what you've all learnt so far? Has Hogwarts lived up to expectations? It seems so long since I was sitting in your place."

Hermione finally perked up and was happy to start rattling off all the things the professors had taught them, how interesting magic was, how amazing everything has been. Adelle listened to her with a polite smile and half an ear, giving the two pureblooded girls a barely noticeable wink when she caught their exasperated expressions. She knew the Granger girl's type; a young muggleborn, thrust into a new world, intelligent and trying hard to prove herself. Being smart was good and all but the girl had better start to take notice of how she conducts herself with her peers; no one appreciated being talked over or bossed around, no matter how well meaning the individual. If she remembered correctly, within the first month, there should have been an older prefect, pureblooded, who took the muggleborn first years aside to start explaining traditions and point them in the right direction. With the way the young girl carried on, Adelle would bet a pretty gem that she had snubbed the prefect and insisted she had read all about it.

It was a pity, really, something just can't be found in books. The girl seemed very intelligent, so much potential, but she was also alienating the people around her, insisting she knew better about their world out of books when others have lived and breathed it since birth. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Lucius' slight sneer. Ah, yes, the young Miss Granger would be exactly the type of muggleborn that irked purebloods the most. For her own good, Adelle hoped the girl toned it down a little and looked to her peers for support before it was too late. Perhaps, Adelle eyed the two pureblooded girls in Neville's year; perhaps she could nudge the two into giving the girl a second chance, though it was likely she would run them off.

When her godson returned, Adelle smiled and excused the both of them before taking Neville's hand and leading him from the Great Hall. Once outside, she led the boy into the room that the Headmaster had arranged for them specifically and settled into one of the armchairs. She hesitated slightly before pulling her godson into her lap; he stiffened for half a second before going with a squeak and she laughed, wrapping her arms around him with a happy sigh, "Now, how has my darling little boy been?"

* * *

Harry had been sitting in Transfiguration, stubbornly refusing to look in the direction of Neville's glowing face (he was happy for his friend, he really was, he'd just rather not be reminded of it right now) when there was a knock on the door interrupting Professor McGonagall's lecture on the First Law of Transmutation. The Professor paused and waited until the door opened slightly and the head of a fifth year Hufflepuff popped in, "Yes, Mister Baudin?"

"Pardon the intrusion, Professor, but Headmaster Dumbledore sent me to ask that you please excuse Mister Potter for the remainder of his class; he's wanted in the Headmaster's office."

Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared as she exhaled forcefully, letting them know exactly what she thought about the Headmaster pulling students out in the middle of her class, "Of course Mister Baudin, thank you for the message. Mister Potter, pack your bag and go with Mister Baudin, I expect you to get caught up with a classmate's notes tonight, my door is open if you require further clarification."

Harry nodded, screwing on the top of his inkpot tightly before shoving everything into his bag, barely remembering to be careful not to snap his quills by accident. As he walked down the aisle, Malfoy lent over and hissed loudly into his ear, "Bet you're in trouble now, Pot-Head, bet they finally figured out how completely useless you are and they're going to kick you out. I bet that's why the Board's here, to weed out the _trash_ that's stinking up Hogwarts."

Harry walked faster, not wanting to slip up and punch Malfoy in front of Professor McGonagall.

"Mister Malfoy! Five points from Slytherin, bullying will not be tolerated! If I catch you one more time, that'll be detention."

Harry turned once he moved passed through the doorway to smirk at Malfoy whose normally pale face was pink with anger. The Hufflepuff beside him chuckled lowly before casually slinging an arm over Harry's shoulders, willfully ignoring Harry's slight flinch at the contact, "Come on kid, let's get you to the Headmaster, don't mind that Malfoy, once his 'Daddy' finds out he'll be in trouble."

Harry looked up at the boy quizzically, "What do you mean?"

The fifth year's eyebrows disappeared behind shaggy chocolate curls, "You think that Lord Malfoy is going to let his Heir going around saying things like that in public? Especially to the heir of another ancient house and the Boy-Who-Lived?"

Harry furrowed his brows and shrugged, "He does it all the time and no one ever said anything about it."

"Well, I guess that's because you never called him on it before; no one to complain, no case."

"But I did complain before, no one cared."

"Did you ever confront him or the situation formally?"

"Formally?" Harry asked, confused.

The fifth year stopped in front of the gargoyle statue with a surprised expression on his face, "Merlin, you really don't know anything, do you? Didn't anyone ever get you up to speed? Guardians? Prefects?"

"I don't know what you're talking about and my relatives are muggles," Harry replied huffily; really, why was everyone so shocked when he didn't know something? He didn't even know he was a wizard until a good five months ago and here everyone was, expecting him to know everything!

"Well then, if you ever want to talk or have any questions, feel free come find me, little lion. Name's Shaun Baudin, Fifth Year Hufflepuff Prefect; just ask any of the portraits or the Friar to point you in my direction, alright?" he clapped Harry on the shoulder in a friendly manner before turning to the statue, "Twizzlers."

The statue spun to one side to reveal the spiraling staircase, "And this is where I leave you. Good luck, little lion, don't worry, you're not in trouble, I promise."

Harry watched as the Prefect left with a friendly wave, whistling merrily as he headed in the direction of the library. Steeling himself, he stepped onto the staircase and let it carry him up slowly into the Headmaster's office. There were two people arguing in the most polite manner he had ever heard although the voices were steadily raising in volume. Straining his ears, he managed to catch the last words before he emerged in the doorway.

" – with _muggles_, Dumbledore? You assured me that he was in a safe place. _That is not a safe place!_"

"My dear, please, do calm yourself. Harry was placed there so that he would be under the protection of blood wards powered by the blood of his mother's relatives. It was a safest place for him to be; no Death Eater would have been able to touch him," the Headmaster insisted, a grandfatherly air about him as he sat in his chair watching the woman rose from her chair, stalking towards him in a way that reminded Harry of that tiger he had seen on the telly when Aunt Petunia wanted Dudley to watch something educational.

"You left my godson with muggles who hated Magic, who knew nothing of how to care for a magical child, who raised him ignorant of our world, our customs and his very own heritage and you're asking me to calm down? I should have taken him that night, Wizengamot be damned!" Adelle snarled, a hateful expression etched into her features.

"Godson?" Harry echoed, an odd feeling in his chest.

He watched as Neville's aunt whirled around to face him, eyes ablaze and hair fluttering about wildly despite the lack of wind in the room. When her eyes landed upon him, her face softened instantly and she moved towards him quickly, throwing a glare over her shoulder at the Headmaster when he opened his mouth to say something. She knelt down in one fluid motion and sat comfortably on her heels, giving him a soft smile. "Hello Harry, dear. I'm sorry you had to see that; that wasn't the way I wanted you to find out. My name is Adelle Huang, Harry, I know we met in the morning. You can called me Addie if you'd like."

"You called me your godson," he repeated numbly.

"Yes, I did. Your mother asked me to be a secondary godmother for you; Alice, Neville's mother, held the actual position. You are my godson just as Neville is," she responded, looking him calmly in the eyes.

Suddenly Harry felt hot all over. He was angry, so angry. All those years, all those nights hoping and wishing for someone to come take him away from the Dursleys. All those times huddled inside his cupboard, confused with what he had done and wanting someone to tell him it was all going to be alright and he had had a godmother all along. Someone who had taken care of Neville until he was six. Five good years, he could have had five good years, five years without the Dursleys. And he could have gone with her after, left the country when she got sick like Neville said; he had no relatives to fight to keep him in this country or to keep him at all.

"Where were you? Why didn't you ever come find me?" he demanded.

She gave him a mournful look, "Oh dear heart, how I wish I had whisked you away that night. I would have, dear heart, I would have, but they took you first and they wouldn't give you back to me. I tried, every year I tried, but the Wizengamot always turned me away. I wrote you too, dear heart, but the letters always came back unopened."

The heat faded away and then he was just cold. Tears pricked at his eyes but he fought to keep them back, Uncle Vernon's voice thundering in his head. _Rule number two, no crying Boy! What did I tell you about sniveling around, you good-for-nothing freak?_

But then she was reaching forward to pull him into her arms. He fought her, thrashing around, punching and scratching at her and screaming, "Don't touch me! I hate you!" all the while waiting for her to box him over the ears and curse him silly for daring to fight back.

But the blows and curses never came, she just held onto him tighter, making shushing noises and whispering things he was too upset to listen to into his ears. Harry was pretty sure he bit her once but she never flinched, didn't even cry out, just hugged him tighter and rocked him back and forth, hands warm and firm. He finally let the tears out and just curled into himself, clinging to the front of her robes, sobbing, too tired to fight her any longer.

He cried and cried in her arms and she rocked him on the floor of the Headmaster's office – the man had gracefully removed himself from the room into the antechamber attached at the side. She sang him soft lullabies in languages he didn't understand and cooed promises that she was never going to leave him again. And for a moment, Harry could almost believe her.

* * *

And there we have it folks, going to keep this sweet and short, I'm supposed to be studying for exams right now. Let me know what you think, good or bad.

Don't forget to show some love!

-Saadie

*Changes made 4:10PM, 04-14-13 after Teufel1987 pointed out I gave poor Shaun two lasts names and messed up his year (sorry Shaun). Thank you!


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